Rouble Nationalization – the Way to Russia’s Freedom. Nikolay Starikov

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СКАЧАТЬ rel="nofollow" href="#n_103" type="note">[103] German treaties with Estonia and Lithuania also contained a secret article. According to this article, the Baltic states were 'to take all military security measures against Soviet Russia as agreed with Germany and in compliance with its advice'.[104]

      Thirdly, there is still no convincing evidence that the secret protocols within the non-aggression pact with Germany existed at all. The USSR recognised that they had existed at the Second Congress of People's Deputies[105] after a report made by a commission headed by the foreman of perestroika, Alexander Yakovlev. The thing is that neither in Russian archives nor anywhere abroad can one find the originals of these notorious secret protocols;[106] only copies of copies' were presented. But Gorbachev and his subordinates had already taken a firm tack in the direction of destroying the country. Destroying the country's history blackening and rigging its past are major elements of destroying a country. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that despite lacking the originals, the commission found it 'possible to admit that the secret protocol of 23rd August, 1939 had existed'.[107]

      The conclusion is that the very existence of the protocols has not been proved. But even if they had indeed been signed, this was a regular political and diplomatic phenomenon.

      The Soviet Union is not to blame for starting the Second World War. If we wanted to blame someone, that would be the Government of Germany, as well as the British and US governments that had been investing enormous amounts of money in German industry for six years. Here we should make a little remark. Adolf Hitler was put in charge of Germany by London and Washington: in other words, by the owners of the 'printing machine'.[108] His task was to start a war against the USSR and to conquer vast territories and vast treasuries full of natural resources as well as to eliminate a dangerous alternative plan of economic development. For this Germany was promised to be made an equal partner of the Anglo-Saxons at the global table. To enable Hitler to fulfil this task, enormous amounts of money were invested in Germany and she was supplied with the latest industrial equipment. The West was afraid and did not notice the militarisation of Germany, which in just six years (1933-1939) created an army from scratch and equipped it with latest systems. Austria and the Czech Republic were surrendered to Hitler to create a big army, and these two countries would provide millions of conscripts and the huge Czech Skoda military plant.[109] Even Poland was Hitler's loyal ally and was preparing a joint attack against Russia.

      And when the time had come to realise the plans, Hitler started his game. Instead of building up a conflict with the USSR around the Ukraine, he resolved it.[110] The situation was as follows: having acquired everything he could have possibly acquired from the West, Hitler deviated from the prepared scenario, according to which a war was bound to begin in 1939. It was not without reason that the American magazine Time called Hitler 'Man of the Year' in 1938.

      Then London decided to alter the strategy slightly. The English knew perfectly well that Hitler was going to attack Poland. And they were not trying to prevent this attack. The idea was different: having defeated the Polish, the German army would have turned up at the Soviet borders. The tensions between the two countries and the mutual propaganda between the communists and the Nazis were to guarantee that a war between the USSR and Germany would definitely break out. To make it work out it was necessary to:

      ● promise support to Poland, so that it becomes uncompromising, and never provide any;

      ● promise Hitler that there would be no support for Poland and he would be 'granted a pardon if he starts a war against the Russians;

      ● play games with the Russians and linger with negotiations until Germany attacks Poland.

      These are the three points on which English diplomacy placed emphasis throughout spring and summer 1939. There was also a fourth task: to keep an eye on the Russians and Germans to prevent them from making any deals. Therefore, each time Berlin and Moscow resumed their relations, the British immediately became more active…

      And now let us move on to the story of the signing of the non-aggression pact itself between Germany and the USSR. There are some fascinating details that do not get spoken about aloud very often, if at all. These tiny details can tell us much more about that period and its tensions than numerous thick books. To begin with, I will give you an irrefutable historical fact: it was not Stalin but Hitler who initiated the warm-up of German-Soviet relations. As early as 22nd December, 1938 the trade mission of the USSR in Berlin received a proposition to draw up an agreement. After some probing and 'exchange of opinions', contact ceased. As this book is not on the history of diplomacy, we can omit several months and proceed straight to the climax.

      On 2nd August, 1939 the envoy of the USSR, Astakhov, was summoned by the head of the German Foreign Ministry, Joachim von Ribbentrop. The essence of his words was that there were no problems between Berlin and Moscow that could not be solved.

      On 5^th August, 1939 British and French delegations set off for Moscow to participate in negotiations. The English are not in a particular hurry. They do not go by air… but by sea. And not by a military fast ship but by a low-speed steamer, City of Exeter. As a result, instead of several hours, getting to Moscow takes seven days (on 10^th August, 1939 the allied delegation arrives in Leningrad).

      On 11^th August, 1939 Hitler summons the League of Nations High Commissioner, Carl Burckhardt and asks him for a 'favour': to help explain to the West that everything that Hitler was doing was aimed against Russia. And if this were to fall on deaf ears then he would have to come to terms with Russians.

      On 12^th August, 1939 the first official meeting of the British, French and Soviet missions took place. Immediately it turned out that the head of the British delegation, Admiral Drax, did not have any letter of authority. The head of the French delegation, General Doumenc, was only authorised to reach an agreement and not to sign any resulting documents. When asked by the head of the Soviet delegation, Voroshilov, whether Poland and Romania would let the Soviet troops into their territory in order to fight against the German aggressors should they annexe these countries, they did not produce any definite answer. This is the very lingering that has been mentioned above. The English did not need to hold on and sit in session for too long: only two weeks were left until Hitler's planned attack against Poland.

      On 15^th August, 1939 at a meeting with Molotov, the German ambassador, Schulenburg, read out a note which essentially said that it was 'possible to restore good mutually beneficial cooperation' between the two countries and raised a question regarding the arrival of a high German official in Moscow. Incidentally, he was not authorised to give the note to the Russians so that no evidence would be left behind.[111]

      The fact that Hitler had planned an attack against Poland for the 26^th August, 1939 was known not only in London but also in Moscow. Therefore, it was decided to buy some time and play on the Germans' nerves. At the same time, this would let them find out how serious their intentions were. So, having had a lovely chat with the German ambassador and having realised that the Germans were under time constraints, Molotov said that there was no rush with the visit, ensuring they did not end up just having talks in Moscow without making any particular decisions.

      On 17^th August, 1939 Schulenburg saw Molotov again. The head of the soviet Foreign Ministry said that Moscow understood why Germany would really want to improve its relations with the USSR. But then a list of previous offences followed. Yet, 'since now the German government has decided to change their policy', it should prove that its intentions are serious СКАЧАТЬ